DECEPTION (Female Reader) [SAKAMOTO DAYS]

23: "Be Lucky"

[M!f/n] leaned back, his eyes flicking between me and the photos on my phone. "So, it's just as I thought." he said with that calm, steady tone. "They didn't want to erase the evidence. They wanted you to stumble upon it, to see what they've been planning. They believe you're meant to rule this country, and this was their twisted way of 'welcoming' you home."

I couldn't help but chuckle darkly at the absurdity. "Imagine that..." I said, sarcasm dripping from my words. "They actually thought I'd be flattered by their little fireworks show in Kanazawa. What a grand gesture for my 'homecoming.' Pathetic."

Rion raised an eyebrow, her expression caught between disbelief and confusion. "But they were stopped before they could do any real damage, right? It's... good no one got hurt." she added hesitantly, still piecing things together.

I turned to her, my face scrunching up in annoyance. "Oh, please, Rion!" I said, rolling my eyes. "Like you even understand the depths of this mess. You weren't raised in a lab, weren't part of the same facility I was. You don't get how these people think."

Her eyes flared with defiance, and she immediately shot back, "Ugh, and I'm glad I'm not some lab rat like you!" Her voice was sharp, cutting through the room with frustration.

[M!f/n] chuckled softly, the corners of his lips lifting in mild amusement as he watched us bicker. Uzuki, on the other hand, let out a long, tired sigh from his seat, clearly used to our constant back-and-forth but not particularly thrilled about it.

"Same old you..." [M!f/n] mused, shaking his head slightly. "Still finding a way to stir things up."

I crossed my arms, leaning back with a smug grin. "What can I say? It's a talent."

Uzuki rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly done with the banter. "Are we done here? Or is this where we find out 'Puppet' gets crowned ruler of Japan or something?" His voice was dry, clearly not buying into the theatrics.

I snorted. "Nah. I've got no interest in ruling this country. Too many headaches. Let's just make sure these idiots don't try another 'homecoming' stunt, and we'll be fine."

Rion huffed but stayed quiet, still glaring at me from her corner.

[M!f/n] glanced between the three of us before finally standing up. "You should lay low for a while. These people won't give up so easily. And considering the lengths they've gone to, they'll try again."

"Yeah, yeah..." I waved him off, still smirking. "Let them try. I've got my eyes on them now. But thanks for the heads-up. I owe you."

[M!f/n] nodded, his calm demeanor never wavering. "Just be careful, (Y/n). You've always had a way of attracting trouble."

Rion let out an exasperated huff, her arms crossed as she glared in our direction. "Hmph! So, you call her '(Y/n)' now, huh?" she asked, shooting a glance at [M!f/n]. "I'm guessing that's not a fake name, considering you two were childhood friends?"

[M!f/n] smiled kindly at her, his calm demeanor never faltering. "Yes, that's right. And your name is Rion, correct?"

Rion's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but there was a slight softening in her posture. "Don't call me by my first name..." she muttered, crossing her arms even tighter. "Akao for now, alright?"

[M!f/n] chuckled lightly, clearly amused by her fiery attitude. "Right, sorry... I'll call you Akao until you're ready to finally get together with (Y/n) in the near future, alright?"

The teasing lilt in his voice caught both me and Rion off guard. Our eyes widened in unison as we processed what he'd just said. "After all... I'm starting to see a cute pair here." he added with a grin that was just enough to send Rion into a sputtering mess.